Heading Radicchio
Fiero Radicchio is a compact F1 hybrid that brings upright, deep maroon heads to your garden in just 66 days. This frost-hardy variety represents a significant improvement over older radicchio types for North American growers, offering more reliable performance and predictability. Though radicchio breeding still rewards succession planting and variety trialing, Fiero delivers the attractive, tightly-formed leaves that make this leafy vegetable such a visual and culinary treasure. Plant it in cool weather, keep your soil between pH 6.0 and 7.5, and you'll have beautiful maroon heads ready to harvest in roughly two months.
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Biennial, Perennial
Moderate
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Fiero stands upright with distinctly deep maroon coloring that makes it as striking on the plate as in the garden. As an F1 hybrid bred specifically for modern production, it offers far greater uniformity and dependability than the older radicchio varieties that challenged North American gardeners for decades. At 66 days to harvest, it fits comfortably into succession plantings that let you dial in the perfect timing for your climate. The compact growth habit means you can tuck multiple heads into smaller spaces, making it surprisingly practical for home gardens despite radicchio's reputation for being finicky.
Radicchio leaves are prized raw in salads, where their slightly bitter character provides contrast and sophistication alongside milder greens. They're also grilled, roasted, or sautéed, becoming mellower and sweeter as heat breaks down their compounds. The deep maroon color makes Fiero particularly striking in composed salads and as a garnish.
Sow seeds indoors in flats at 4 seeds per inch, or in 3/4-inch plug trays, barely covering them with fine vermiculite. Germination occurs best between 55 and 75°F (13 and 24°C). Start indoors 3 to 4 weeks before your planned transplant date. Shade the seed flats on warm, sunny days to keep soil surface temperature below 75°F (24°C) until germination occurs. About 2 weeks after germination, transplant seedlings 1 to 2 inches apart into larger flats, pots, or cell containers. Before moving seedlings outdoors, harden them by reducing water and temperature for 2 to 3 days; properly hardened transplants can survive unexpected cold snaps.
Transplant hardened seedlings outdoors as soon as soil can be worked in spring. Space plants 8 to 12 inches apart in rows, allowing room for the compact but full-sized heads to develop. Radicchio is hardy and can tolerate frost, so early planting is beneficial for establishing strong root systems in cool conditions.
Harvest heads when they reach full size and feel firm to gentle pressure, typically around 66 days from transplanting. Cut heads at the base with a sharp knife. Fiero's upright growth habit and compact form make it easy to identify when heads are mature and ready.
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